Because I am actively involved in the Panchayat, I rarely get time for household
work. A sudden invitation to a meeting makes me leave my work in the
field halfway. It is sometimes difficult to balance the two, but one cannot be
compromised for the other. It is important that sincere people are elected to
the Panchayat. The Panchayat is like a government at one’s doorstep. Men are
usually away from the village on work and women are left to handle the affairs
within the village. I see women playing a significant role in decision making
in the future.
Women know at what point the irrigation water channel needs to be repaired
and they have even learnt strategies to manage conflicts arising over complex
issues like land. It is important that people participate in the decision-
making processes of the village. Elected or nominated representatives face
many challenges but that is the story of every village. Instead of complaining,
one must understand the importance of being elected and perform one’s
responsibilities sincerely and consistently in the hope that it will feed into the
development of the village.
Over the years, as a Member, my level of confidence and my knowledge have
increased. I have participated in some training workshops, which have helped
crystallize my role as a Panchayat member. I was asked to give my inputs to
the Vision Document for Ladakh and I focused on the need to have toilets
for women in the village and a marketplace for village products, including
vegetables.
The other issues that plague rural Leh are the reduced number of helping hands
in the village since most parents accompany their children to private schools
that are at a distance from the village. Add to this, the fact that most of the
young people in the village have joined the Army, and you can see a real lack
of human resources within the village. As a result, there are several fields left
uncultivated. People have now moved away from their fields and have shown
their preference for cheap ration supplies provided for by the government.
Even vegetable cash crops that some people have begun to cultivate do not
easily find a market. Last year even the Army (a main buyer) refused to